Wondering if I can squeeze a baby seat in the access cab of my 1989 toyota pickup. Ive found the section in the manual and have done some research. We actually have a city select infant rear facing seat already. We will mainly use my wife's car (much more up to date and capable vehicle- 2013), however i will need to use the truck to get to or from day care which is close. I have tried it already and it works but could use a seat extender type of thing as the base of the baby seat sticks off the seat a good bit. I noticed one thread mention this seat extender and show a pic. I just dont know how to get one. It was tough to find after a simple online search. So i was thinking of a toyota dealership. Also i think the seat base needs to be tighter, i read that i should add and use a locking piece. Hopefully after i get that itll help tighten it down. Anyone have any advice or similar experience with this??

Would work just fine in the front, but is less than ideal since you can only use the seat belt as the truck won't have LATCH anchors for most secure connection where you can cinch it down tight. In my observation, current rear-facing seats (especially the rear-facing with the separate base) are kinda made more for those LATCH anchors than they are the car seat belt; taller, forward-facing seats seem to be alright with the seat belt vs latch attachment. I called the CHP to speak with their child seat person when I had my 1st kid to verify that I could legally put car seat in the front of my xcab truck and not get ticketed and put on a CPS list, lol.

In the rear those seats are tiny, I'd imagine you'd need this seat extender thingy, but I've never seen one and don't even know how it would function. The only type I've seen are basically a pad that fills the footwell (or the type that suspend/hang off your headrests) area so things are flat, like so a dog can chill in the back and not fall in the hole when you pump the brakes.

Im trying to do the rear xcab seat. Yes i do agree with you that they're probably made more for the latch system these days. Ours (city select) does give multiple options for use- including the lap shoulder belt which is what that right rear xcab seat has back there. The seat extender thing i randomly saw in another thread but i think its just part of a newer model tacoma pickup (early 90s maybe). I have seen the pet ones your talking about too. This one i found in the thread looks like it unfolds from underneath the seat area. Ill attach a pic that someone posted of it. Its purpose is more so to extend the seat than fill the whole foot well area and looks like itd be sturdier and not just sitting in place down there. It would extend the seat a bit and help gain that area needed for the base to no longer hang off the front of the seat.

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I wonder if there's a child safety person at a toyota dealership to help or will they all just be hounds on selling me a new vehicle (which we just simply cannot afford rt now)... im sure itll be the latter.

Huh never seen anything like that before in a truck. Maybe it’ll work. I’d consider building one out of wood or something if you can’t get one, looks pretty simple. Also, with the front seat backed up I’d think you’re good to go. Heck I remember as a little kid, I’d get strapped into my uncles yota by sitting on top of the center console with the seat belts crossed over me, hahaha

What’s gonna bring the suck is loading/unloading the kid from the back seat (my exp is a lifted 4wd xcab not 2wd). Still better than a 1st gen or 2dr 4Runner, lol.

Good luck with the kid. You’re gonna be fine, kids are the best and worst thing I ever did in life hahahahahahahahahahahahaha yep

I didn't look to see what state you're in, but here in Ca I ended up with the same question, the misses always drives the family car, and I wasn't sure if I could put the little one in my single cab truck. First thought, was the state can't expect a father of limited means to suddenly purchase a new car just cause he had a child, but I figured hell with it, and called my local police department. After being transferred about 4 times I ended up speaking with someone in Sacramento (something like "Office of child seat and safety") who said just strap the seat and kid into your truck, and go have it inspected (after setting an appointment). No department should be so hard-up for funds that they cite you for wanting to do things correctly.

By the way, it was determined safe, though I don't see me and my daughter going cruising too often. Just good to keep in mind in case something comes up.